Is this an attempt to rename the Long Beach/North Beach Peninsula? No! This is an attempt to give a name to the area that includes the Washington side of the New Bi-State Lewis and Clark National Park, The Columbia River Quarantine Station, Willapa Wildlife Refuge, Megler, Chinook, Ilwaco, and the Long Beach/North Beach Peninsula.
Why would we want to name this area? With the new Federal Park comes substantial recognition. The recognition will come in the form of road signage, Brochures, magazines, TV, radio. It makes sense to consolidate that recognition into one single area name that will benefit the whole area.
Why was Cape Columbia chosen as the Name? The Name was chosen because it is a unique name that identifies the area by associating it with the well known Columbia River and a Cape which is usually associated with an ocean feature. Please read the Letter from Outsource Marketing.
What is the Importance of a Unique Name? As more and more information is digitized (CD, DVD, Internet) information needs to be searched. Searches are most effective if there is only one or two items being searched for with the same name. If the name is not unique then placement at the top of the list generated by the search engine is usually purchased. Our community does not have the economic horsepower to make these purchases. Please see points 4 and 5 in “The Chamber Position Letter". Cape Columbia is a unique name shared with one other non-commercial area in Canada.
What is wrong with the current signage to the Long Beach Peninsula? State law (RCW 43.126.055) states that “...Whenever the state board on geographic names has given a name to any lake, stream, place, or other geographic feature within the state, that name shall be used in all maps, records, documents, and other publications issued by the state or any of its departments and political subdivisions, and that name shall be the official name of the geographic feature.” This could be a disaster if all the road signs were changed to North Beach Peninsula and we became confused with the North Beach area near Ocean Shores.
What is the Official name of the land mass between Willapa Bay and the Pacific Ocean? According to Roger L Payne Executive Secretary US Board on Geographic Names “...we can report that in 1950 the U.S. Board was asked to render a decision on whether North Beach Peninsula or Long Beach Peninsula should be established as the official name for Federal use. After a careful review of all the evidence, including a large volume of correspondence from area residents and businesses, the name North Beach Peninsula was selected.”
How does the USGS define our peninsula? It is defined as “the land mass between Willapa Bay and the Pacific Ocean.” That is approximately the land that is north of Pioneer Road.
Can the Official Name of the North Beach Peninsula be Changed to The Long Beach Peninsula? Probably not. The board has a policy referred to below in meeting notes "... the Board has in a number of recent cases declined to approve names that give one community a competitive advantage"
Board on Geographic Names
June 11, 1954 Minutes of the Domestic Names Committee Meeting